NAU Men Unanimous No. 1, MSU Women Slightly Favored in #BigSkyXC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
OGDEN, Utah – The coaches have filled their ballots out and the results are in. Northern Arizona is the unanimous favorite on the men’s side to win its third straight Big Sky Championship with aspirations of completing a three-peat as NCAA champions. Montana State is favored on the women’s side, but it was not unanimous by any means. NAU, runner-ups in the preseason poll, received more first-place votes than Montana State and three teams received at least one first-place vote in the women’s preseason poll. Coaches were able to vote for their own team in the polls.
The conference returns four men’s and women’s All-Conference honorees from a season ago. Last year’s Big Sky Championship results can be found
here.
The Jacks’ head into the 2018 season with the majority of their lineup from the 2017 season still intact. Among the NAU returnees includes four NCAA All-Americans last season. Tyler Day and Matt Baxter are back for their senior seasons after dominant performances last year. Day finished first in the Big Sky Championships and third in the NCAA finals while Baxter finished second in both the conference meet and the NCAA Championships. Peter Lomong (eighth) and Geordie Beamish (40th) are the other two NCAA All-Americans returning for NAU. In addition, 2017 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Luis Grijalva is back after placing eighth in the conference meet.
Southern Utah, coming off of its most successful season in program history, placed second in the men’s preseason poll with 109 points. The Thunderbirds placed 11th at the NCAA Championships last year and return George Espino who finished 114th in the NCAA Final. The Thunderbirds last won the Big Sky Championship back in 2015.
Weber State was predicted to finish third with a total of 96 points. The Wildcats welcome back three of their top four performers in the 2017 Big Sky Championships including Jordan Cross who placed sixth and earned All-Conference honors.
Montana State and Idaho were separated by just three points for fourth and fifth place in the men’s poll. Montana State placed fourth in the preseason poll and returns Ty Mogan after redshirting the 2017 season. Mogan was MSU’s top runner in the 2016 Big Sky Championship placing 16th. Brandon Hough is back for the ‘Cats after his 13th place finish at last year’s conference meet. Idaho recorded 79 points and finished fifth in the voting. The Vandals bring back several familiar names including Dwain Stucker and Drew Schultz who finished 18 and 22 respectively in the conference championship to help the Vandals finish fourth as a team.
Montana State edged Northern Arizona as preseason women’s favorite earning 111 points and four first-place votes. MSU is looking to win its first Big Sky women’s cross country championship since 1995. The Bobcats return their entire lineup which featured two All-Conference honorees in Kelsi Lasota (fourth place) and Caroline Hardin (tenth place). Montana State also returns reigning Freshman of the Year, Trisha Carlson who placed 12th at the conference championship meet.
NAU, second in the women’s poll with 110 points and five first-place votes, is coming off of back-to-back Big Sky titles in 2016 and 2017. The ‘Jacks’ lineup will look much different this season as Delaney Rasmussen headlines the NAU lineup. Rasmussen ran in four races for the Lumberjacks last season including Pre-Nationals, Big Sky Championship and the NCAA Mountain Regional.
Southern Utah finished third in the coaches’ poll with 102 points and two first-place votes. The Thunderbirds return their top performer and lone All-Conference honoree from a season ago in Maddy Kauffman.
Idaho (94 points) and Weber State (77 points) finished fourth and fifth in the women’s preseason polls. Idaho returns the bulk of its lineup from a season ago with the Story sisters (Kara and Krista) as well as Andrea Condie back for the Vandals. Weber State returns three of its top four from the Big Sky Championship a season ago with Summer Harper being the top returnee.
The cross country season begins on Aug. 31 with all but one school competing on the opening weekend. The Big Sky Championships will be held on Oct. 27 at Haggin Oaks Golf Club in Sacramento, Calif. with Sacramento State hosting the championship.
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| Men's Preseason Poll |
|
| 1. Northern Arizona (11) |
121 |
| 2. Southern Utah |
109 |
| 3. Weber State |
96 |
| 4. Montana State |
82 |
| 5. Idaho |
79 |
| 6. Idaho State |
69 |
| 7. Northern Colorado |
57 |
| 8. Eastern Washington |
34 |
| 9. Sacramento State |
33 |
| 10. Montana |
27 |
| 11. Portland State |
19 |
| (First Place Votes) |
|
|
|
| Women's Preseason Poll |
|
| 1. Montana State (4) |
111 |
| 2. Northern Arizona (5) |
110 |
| 3. Southern Utah (2) |
102 |
| 4. Idaho |
94 |
| 5. Weber State |
77 |
| 6. Montana |
59 |
| 7. Idaho State |
51 |
| 8. Eastern Washington |
33 |
| T9. Northern Colorado |
32 |
| T9. Portland State |
32 |
| 11. Sacramento State |
25 |
| (First Place Votes) |
|